The French Laundry is a very famous and upscale French restaurant located in the small town of Yountville in the Napa valley wine country (three stars in the Michelin Guide). Lunch or dinner for four persons is about $1400 including wine. But why stop there? If the party wants they can also splurge on a $5000 bottle of wine. Very informational to read reviews on yelp.

Notice how this restaurant has no red flashing OPEN sign on the building. It doesnít need to. Reservations are very hard to get. There is a small French Laundry sign on the wall. If you didnít know this was the French Laundry, youíd drive right by it. And no, I did not eat at the French Laundry.

Mark Prince mentioned in a coffeegeek potcast 010 that the French Laundry makes espresso using Illy pods.

Keller, the owner of the French Laundry, also owns two other restaurants in Yountville, as well as this Bouchon bakery, which bakes bread for the French Laundry. Bouchon bakery is only 400 yards from the French Laundry. I visited on August 16, 2008.

Inside the Bouchon bakery I noticed this fancy espresso pod machine and I was reminded of Mark mentioning the French laundry using Illy pods. I asked the staff at Bouchon if the same Illy pods were used at the French Laundry to make espresso? They made a call to the French Laundry and confirmed that the French Laundry uses the same Illy pods but they werenít sure if they used the same pod espresso machine. Note: some internet blogs claim that the French Laundry uses a superautomatic to make espresso using beans from Equator Estates and other blogs claim the French Laundry uses beans from Illy to make espresso. Some confusion going on.

I ordered a single espresso which was made using one Illy pod. Espresso is pulled in a stainless container and then transferred to a paper cup. All drinks are togo at Bouchon. Photos show the pour and the pod being removed after the pull. To make a double espresso two pods are used which are loaded side by side. The single Illy espresso had almost no crema, thin body, tasted similar to a Starbucks espresso except without the carbon. Nothing really offensive about the Illy espresso, just not very interesting. Just donít like to think about getting served this espresso after a $350 per person meal.

It's both disgraceful and mindboggling to see amazing chefs tolerating undrinkable espresso in their establishment. But c'est la vie. It's exactly the same here, too - we have a phenomenal modern French restaurant called Vue De Monde that also serves illy. I tend to drop by their little cafe for some phenomenal food and pastry, then walk a block for coffee. Actually, I'm sure that I read about the chef talking about Keller somewhere, so perhaps his coffee choice is following suit.

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